Clown-lover, I can't find any dead critters and all my other tests come back fine. I would have thought the algae would be utilizing the nitrates, but I guess there isn't enough algae to get rid of it. I wish I knew where they were coming from. I wish the Cheato I had would grow faster.
New 30gal setup
- Thread starter Tikidude
- Start date
Hi ooja! The whole reason I started this thread was in hopes that it would help someone else starting a new tank. Thanks! I'm glad it is working.
I can't help with the coral answer, but I have heard they are actually easier to keep than fish, just require extra lighting. Not all corals need super bright light and you have to research which corals would work with the lights you have. If you are just doing fish, snails, etc., than you should be able to get by with your standard flourescent lighting. There are lots of posts on here about lighting so it might help to go check out some of the older posts. You can Search "lighting" and see what comes up.
I went the route of setting up my own so that I could make changes easier if I wanted to upgrade a part of the set-up. It is definitely easier to customize.
I used a bit of base rock and set the live rock on top of that. It is worth the expense to get good live rock. You will be thankful you did. My cycle was really quick and I hope in the long run easier to keep running. Check Ebay for some good live rock. You might also check Craigslist to see if someone in your area is selling some live rock. I used some dead sand and some live sand. Probably overkill, but I liked the idea of getting as much live stuff in the tank at one time as I could.
I believe that if you do a fish only tank with Live Rock (FOWLR) than a HOB filter should be fine. You can put some live rock rubble in the filter and that will be a nice natural filter media. Even with the HOB, you will probably want to invest in a powerhead to keep the water moving around the rock. You don't want any dead areas in the tank. In other words, make sure ever surface of rock has water moving past it. That helps the bacteria in the rock do their job.
I'm researching skimmers now as I have come to realize with reading that it really is a great asset to the tank and should help me from having to do so many water changes and will keep the water cleaner.
I have read over and over that nothing good happens quickly in this hobby, but bad things happen overnight. I have learned that is true. I did have a quick cycle and perhaps that is why I'm having a problem with algae that litteraly seemed to spring up overnight. That stuff grows faster than weeds and is a pain in the buttocks.
Thanks for reading the thread and please ask questions. I would much rather (and I think everyone here would agree) answer a question than read about a loss of a pet. Take your time, read a lot. See if there is a club in your area and enjoy. I'm having a ball just watching my rocks.
thanks for the respone tiki,
ya i have nothing yet for the tank that I am dreaming of... i think im going to go with a separate 29gal all glass aquarium, get probably a fairly high end lighting system, so in the future i can do whatever i want to the tank, get 2 powerheads, no filter, no skimmer yet, get a mix of live sand and dead sand, and all live rock...
does that sound like a good way to start up a noob FOWLR tank?
ya i have nothing yet for the tank that I am dreaming of... i think im going to go with a separate 29gal all glass aquarium, get probably a fairly high end lighting system, so in the future i can do whatever i want to the tank, get 2 powerheads, no filter, no skimmer yet, get a mix of live sand and dead sand, and all live rock...
does that sound like a good way to start up a noob FOWLR tank?
Ooja, my only suggestions would be to purchase some cheap base rock (not live) that will be mostly covered with sand. This will provide a nice base for you to build on and using live rock under the sand would be a waste of money. Just my opinion, but the base rock will eventually become live rock and no sense in spending the extra money on live rock that would just smother under the sand.
I promised pic tonight and I'm here to deliver. No movie as it wasn't cooperating, but perhaps I can get it downloaded tomorrow night.
Here are some pics.
First a full tank picture.
Featherdust, both closed and open.
Some Macro Algae that is growing on one of my rocks.
One of my Astrea Snails enjoying an evening snack
Some of my Cheato growing
Finally, a piece of my base rock. It is darkening so I'm wondering if stuff is gonna start growing?
I hope you enjoyed the latest pics. In some of them you can see some of the hair algae. I pulled a lot of it tonight and also blew some of the debris off the tops of the rocks. I thought I had some maiden's hair growing, but while the lights were out, it lost all its color and is now clear. I tried to take a picture, but it is hard to photograph a clear object. LOL
http://littlegiles.homestead.com/dusterclosed7-19.jpg
Here are some pics.
First a full tank picture.
Featherdust, both closed and open.
Some Macro Algae that is growing on one of my rocks.
One of my Astrea Snails enjoying an evening snack
Some of my Cheato growing
Finally, a piece of my base rock. It is darkening so I'm wondering if stuff is gonna start growing?
I hope you enjoyed the latest pics. In some of them you can see some of the hair algae. I pulled a lot of it tonight and also blew some of the debris off the tops of the rocks. I thought I had some maiden's hair growing, but while the lights were out, it lost all its color and is now clear. I tried to take a picture, but it is hard to photograph a clear object. LOL
http://littlegiles.homestead.com/dusterclosed7-19.jpg
